Premier

Carlisle Grounds
16 Jun 2016

Douglas chases as Curtis sidefoots home
pic courtesy Derry Journal

A game that looked several times as if it was going to get away from the Seagulls ended in a victory which was hard-earned, at best.

An early opening score by Darragh Noone, slightly fortunate and against what seemed to be developing as the run of play, and as in the previous round in Maginn Park a late finisher by substitute Tim Clancy, were the crucial goals in a match the home side were fortunate not to lose.

Clancy's strike was a remarkably similar effort to the March one, in that both came from corners, both delivered by Aaron Greene, both in the late stages of the game, and each completed the same scoreline to the victors.

In between, the Candystripes had twice come from behind, through Ronan Curtis in the first half and Nathan Boyle less than two minutes into the second, while Ryan Brennan was Bray's middle scorer, just before the break.

Derry had controlled possession in the opening exhcanges, but showed little sign of penetrating the Bray defence.

Visiting keeper Gerard Doherty was in action when Bray attacked five minutes in, the ball fell to Noone on the edge of the box and his half volley spilled by the Derry before being partially cleared.

But within seconds, following a Greene free, a cross from the left by Kevin Lynch was bounced into the to pcorner of the net off the backside of Noone, who had raced into the goal area.

Bray came close to doubling their advantage just inside the quarter hour when Gary McCabe shot straight at Doherty following good work by Anto Flood, and a further foray was scrambled clear after which McCabe lofted a free which ended on the top of the Derry net after the hard-working Hugh Douglas was flagged offside.

Josh Daniels sliced a shot well left of target following a free in the corner, and Boyle had a cross deflected to Cherrie before Dean Jarvis headed a Nicky Low corner over the bar.

The visitors got back on terms midway through the period when Nicky Low found Curtis with a well-judged feed that cut through the defence, and he raced behind Douglas to stroke it past Peter Cherrie.

One of a number of on-field sanctions that seemed to be awarded the wrong way during the contest saw Doherty relieve the pressure after Lynch was brought down, and at the other end the Candystripes had the ball in the Bray net again when Boyle's diving header from a Barry McNamee cross was ruled out for offside.

Just before the half hour, Aaron McEneff (one of three players of that given name on the pitch last night) fired a free through the wall, but Cherrie had anticipated well, and a cross by Aaron Barry a couple of minutes later flew harmlessly behind.

Minutes ahead of the interval, Bray were given a free on the left of the area after Flood was brought down by Conor McDermott. McCabe clipped the dead-ball into the danger zone and Brennan headed downward into the net from a couple of metres out.

A miscalled sideline throw wasn't taken before the break as Referee Rob Hennessey blew up without any time added.

It was a half-time lead Bray hardly deserved, and was duly annulled when McEneff fed the ball into Boyle's path and the striker's low shot from about 18m found the bottom corner.

As before, Derry had proceedings well under control for large parts of the second half, but failed to trouble the Bray defence much, let alone the keeper.

McEneff and Curtis both had shots that missed the target, and Douglas intervened with a couple of spectacular headed clearances, before Aaron Barry headed an enormously soft handball free over the bar.

On the hour mark,and on the field just three minutes, Clancy met a Greene free with a header that came nowhere near Doherty's goal, and a minute later with Noone in possession and clear on goal, the referee whistled up play for attention to a Derry player, who quickly rose to his feet again.

A Bray corner was easily cleared, Doherty claiming a loose high header, before McEneff shot high and wide.

The Seagulls recovered well from a debatable free and caution, and attention to Brennan, to win a corner with barely ten minutes left, and were soon ahead again, leaving enough time for the visitors to level.

But though they forced a series of corners, bringing great clearances from Conor Kenna, from Curtis, and Douglas from substitute Mark Timlin, and a superb fingertip save by Cherrie when McEneff volleyed a McNamee free, the Bray net stayed stubbornly unruffled and the Seagulls gained two places in the table.

Mícheál Ó hUanacháin

Bray Wanderers: 1 Peter Cherrie; 2 Hugh Douglas, 5 Derek Foran , 4 Conor Kenna (c), 19 Kevin Lynch ; 22 Darragh Noone , 8 Mark Salmon ; 9 Aaron Greene, 11 Gary McCabe, 7 Ryan Brennan ; 20 Anthony Flood
Subs: 10 Karl Moore (for Brennan 80), 14 Jamie Aherne, 17 Gerald Pender, 21 Tim Clancy (for Foran 57) , 23 Jason Marks (for Lynch 67), 24 Ryan Robinson, 93 Lee Steacy (gk)
Derry City: 1 Gerard Doherty (c); 8 Harry Monaghan, 2 Conor McDermott, 30 Aaron Barry, 3 Dean Jarvis; 10 Josh Daniels, 4 Aaron McEneff, 6 Nicky Low, 9 Ronan Curtis ; 7 Barry McNamee; 16 Nathan Boyle
Subs: 11 Rory Patterson, 13 Eric Grimes (gk), 14 Rory Holden, 19 Mark Timlin (for Daniels 83), 23 Ben Doherty (for Monaghan 86), 24 Scott Whiteside, 29 Lucas Schubert
Referee: Robert Hennessey